Today’s best deals: Apple AirPods Max, Peacock subscriptions, and more

  News
image_pdfimage_print
Today’s best deals: Apple AirPods Max, Peacock subscriptions, and more
Ars Technica

It’s Wednesday, and that means it’s time for another Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the best tech deals from around the web includes a notable discount on Apple’s AirPods Max, which are currently down to $429 in various colors at Amazon. That’s not the absolute lowest price we’ve ever seen for Apple’s noise-canceling headphones, but it’s still about $45 off its usual price in recent months and $120 off Apple’s MSRP.

This is still an expensive set of headphones even with the discount, but as we’ve noted in past guides, the Max still offer superb sound quality for a wireless headphone and exceptionally effective active noise cancellation. They’re on the heavy side compared to competing pairs like Sony’s WH-1000XM4 and WH-1000XM5, but their aluminum finish has a premium feel as a result. They also come with all the perks of any other set of AirPods, including easy pairing with iPhones, Macs, and Apple TVs and integration with services like Find My device tracking and Siri.

The Max still carry a few odd design quirks: They can’t fold up for easier storage, and they don’t have a dedicated power off button, instead relying on a flimsy holder that puts them into a low-power mode. They can’t connect to multiple devices simultaneously, either, and while their 20 hours of battery life is solid, we’ve seen better from other pairs. For most people, the WH-1000XM4 remain a better value that get close enough in performance at a much lower price. But the Max’s audio and noise-canceling quality is a step up, so if you own an iPhone and have a bit more to spend, this should be a more digestible price for a quality pair of travel or office headphones. Just note that the Max have been available since late 2020, and Apple has a new product event scheduled for next week; we haven’t seen many rumors that suggest a refreshed Max is imminent, but there’s still a chance that one arrives before the end of the year.

If you don’t want a new pair of headphones, we also have a nice discount on Peacock memberships, albeit only for new subscribers. If that’s you, though, the streaming service is running a promotion that doles out a 12-month subscription to its ad-supported “Peacock Premium” tier for $20. Normally, an annual membership costs $50. You’ll need to create an account and use the code “ONEYEAR” at checkout to see the discount. Peacock is far from an essential platform and paying to still see ads is always aggravating, but if you’ve been thinking about taking the plunge anyway—be it to watch Premier League soccer, WWE events, or just your 40th run through The Office—this might be a more acceptable price.

Beyond that, our roundup also has lower-than-usual prices on Apple’s 10.2-inch iPad and 14-inch MacBook Pro, Google’s Chromecast and Pixel 6 phones, various well-reviewed gaming monitors, Samsung OLED TVs, and the usual array of video games, among others. You can find our full curated list of deals below.

Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

Featured deals of the day

Apple's AirPods Max noise-canceling headphones.
Enlarge / Apple’s AirPods Max noise-canceling headphones.

Electronics deals

10.2-inch iPad with the optional Smart Keyboard and first-gen Apple Pencil.” src=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/todays-best-deals-apple-airpods-max-peacock-subscriptions-and-more-2.jpg” width=”640″ height=”427″ srcset=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/todays-best-deals-apple-airpods-max-peacock-subscriptions-and-more-8.jpg 2x”>
Enlarge / Apple’s 10.2-inch iPad with the optional Smart Keyboard and first-gen Apple Pencil.
Andrew Cunningham
16-inch (right) and 14-inch (left) MacBook Pro models side-by-side.” src=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/todays-best-deals-apple-airpods-max-peacock-subscriptions-and-more-3.jpg” width=”640″ height=”435″ srcset=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/todays-best-deals-apple-airpods-max-peacock-subscriptions-and-more-9.jpg 2x”>
Samuel Axon

Laptop and desktop PC deals

Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go 2.” src=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/todays-best-deals-apple-airpods-max-peacock-subscriptions-and-more-4.jpg” width=”640″ height=”427″ srcset=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/todays-best-deals-apple-airpods-max-peacock-subscriptions-and-more-10.jpg 2x”>
Andrew Cunningham
Hitman 3.” src=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/todays-best-deals-apple-airpods-max-peacock-subscriptions-and-more-5.jpg” width=”640″ height=”354″ srcset=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/todays-best-deals-apple-airpods-max-peacock-subscriptions-and-more-11.jpg 2x”>
Enlarge / The darkly comedic stealth-action game Hitman 3.

Video game deals

Untitled Goose Game is a game about being a mischievous goose.” src=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/todays-best-deals-apple-airpods-max-peacock-subscriptions-and-more.png” width=”640″ height=”360″ srcset=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/todays-best-deals-apple-airpods-max-peacock-subscriptions-and-more-1.png 2x”>
Enlarge / Untitled Goose Game is a game about being a mischievous goose.
engine-building board game Wingspan in action.” src=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/todays-best-deals-apple-airpods-max-peacock-subscriptions-and-more-6.jpg” width=”640″ height=”480″ srcset=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/todays-best-deals-apple-airpods-max-peacock-subscriptions-and-more-12.jpg 2x”>
Enlarge / The Ars-approved engine-building board game Wingspan in action.
Ars Technica

Accessories and miscellaneous deals

https://arstechnica.com/?p=1877135